About the Role
As Principal Product RE, you will own end-to-end product development, integrating inverter hardware with cooling/thermal systems, safety, and controls for utility-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). You will lead the design of thermal systems supporting multi-MW/MWh BESS installations operating in data centers. This role requires deep, hands-on expertise in inverter system design, thermal cooling, advanced simulation, and BESS safety compliance. You will lead a team of engineers across various functions to ensure the product meets performance, reliability, manufacturability, serviceability, compliance, and cost targets.
Responsibilities
- Develop in-house or outsourced thermal cooling solutions across the full product lifecycle.
- Work in cross-functional teams of inverter hardware, firmware, test automation, and mechanical engineers.
- Specify, design, verify, and debug complex site controls connecting to the BMS and EMS.
- Integrate grid-scale inverter PCS with MWh-scale DC BESS for data centers.
- Participate in early-stage product development, communicate expectations, and ensure successful capture of design, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, test, and service requirements.
- Develop schedules for new product development from concept to launch.
- Conduct regular project status meetings with the project team and stakeholders.
- Deliver new products on time, within budget, and at the expected quality and reliability levels.
- Serve as the central technical leader across mechanical, electrical, and firmware engineering, cloud/mobile software, quality, manufacturing, and supply chain/operations.
- Guide daily engineering tasks, including schedule prioritization and tracking the status and resolution of bugs/issues.
- Facilitate initial build plans, drive material readiness with supply chain, and evaluate constraints.
- Collaborate with engineering teams to solve technical problems and provide rapid prototyping support.
- Collaborate with manufacturing and quality teams to develop efficient methods for assembling and testing products.
- Generate high-value ideas and transform them into platform-level designs.
- Support system architecture, cost-reduction proposals, and failure root-cause analysis.
- Engage with internal technical communities and contribute to cross-team knowledge sharing.
- Mentor and grow engineers on the team.
- Lead efforts to meet grid code requirements and certifications for BESS applications serving data centers.
- Define engineering requirements, develop test plans, and deliver proofs of concept (POCs).
- Champion technical excellence, rigorous documentation, and scientific discipline.
- Serve as a subject matter expert for next-generation platforms.
Requirements
- B.E. with 15+ years of relevant industry experience, or a Master's degree with 13+ years of relevant industry experience.
- Proven track record developing high-power, high-voltage power distribution products from concept to market launch in commercial/industrial settings.
- Experience developing device models for multiple DC and AC parallel connections, with accurate loss estimation using simulation tools.
- Expertise in cooling design and optimization, balancing cost and performance across product applications.
- Proficiency in tolerance analysis, worst-case analysis (WCA), DPPM, DFMEA/AFMEA, and root-cause analysis for field failures.
- Extensive knowledge of high-voltage integration of 277/480V grid-connected systems and data centers.
- Strong site controls design, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
- Hands-on experience with Python and embedded software for inverter controls development, within a test automation environment.
- Strong system-level understanding of PCS architectures, battery rooms, DC- vs. AC-coupled systems, and thermal coordination with BMS, EMS, and PCS derating logic.
- Demonstrated technical leadership: leading programs, influencing architecture decisions, and mentoring senior and staff-level engineers.
- Subject expertise in one or more of the following: High-voltage DC and AC power distribution units (PDUs), High-density liquid cooling thermal design for high-volume manufacturing, Field quality improvement and cost reduction through Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE), Experience designing cabinet and containerized solutions, Site EMS experience with inverter and BMS controls.
Skills
- Inverter system design
- Thermal cooling
- Advanced simulation
- BESS safety compliance
- Python
- Embedded software
- Test automation
- PCS architectures
- Battery management system (BMS)
- Energy management system (EMS)
- Grid code requirements
- UL certification
- IEC certification
- Value Analysis/Value Engineering (VAVE)
Location
- Austin, Texas
Work Type
- On-site
Experience Level
- Principal
- 15+ years
- 13+ years
Education Level
- Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.)
- Master's degree
Salary/Compensations
- $130,000 to $183,000 per year
Benefits
- Bonus
- Equity
- Benefits
About the Company
- Enphase Energy is a global energy technology company and a leading provider of solar, battery, and electric vehicle charging products.
- Founded in 2006, our innovative microinverter technology revolutionized solar power, making it a safer, more reliable, and scalable energy source.
- Today, the Enphase Energy System enables users to make, use, save, and sell their own power.
- Enphase is also one of the most successful and innovative clean energy companies in the world, with more than 80 million products shipped across 160 countries.
- Join our dynamic teams designing and developing next-gen energy technologies and help drive a sustainable future.
